Uber 'ghost' drivers haunt riders in China, pocket cash

This works because people see the ghostly pictures and get scared which leads them to cancel the ride - and forces them to pay a cancellation fee that is then passed on to the scammers.Andrew Griffin | The Independent | September 24, 2016, 08:54 IST

Uber is haunted by ghosts that are trying to trick you out of your money.

At least that appears to be what is happening in China, where scammers are adding horrifying drivers that nobody wants to ride with. This works because people see the ghostly pictures and get scared which leads them to cancel the ride - and forces them to pay a cancellation fee that is then passed on to the scammers.

According to reports, victims of the scam would order their Uber as normal. But the pictures instead show somebody looking like a zombie or a ghost, and so people don't want to ride with them.

The scam seizes on the worry about the fact that drivers can join the company relatively unchecked, and that they are thus essentially driving with a stranger.

People can complain and have their journeys reimbursed, but the scammers are still picking up the cash. Uber said that it has a "zero-tolerance attitude to scamming behaviour", and that refunds would be given to anyone targeted by the ghosts.